Photo by Ron Sinfelt.

Everyone touts the fact that we have year-round great fishing here in South Carolina. But every fisherman knows there are two "special" times of the year for finding fish in what seems to be an extraordinarily active mode: the spring and fall.

And the finest part of the fall fishing is right now. Late September and all of October is the time when largemouth bass, striped bass, crappie, catfish, speckled trout and shrimp are all at a fall peak. We're going to profile seven of the top fisheries available across the state this month. In addition, we're going to give you the scoop on what's hot at these places and how to equip for success.

LARGEMOUTH BASS AT CLARKS HILL LAKE
After a long, hot summer of orienting to deep points, ledges, drops and channels, largemouths are making a big move back to the shallow water at Clarks Hill Lake. Almost any lure in the tackle box has the potential to produce excellent fishing during this time of the year.

Expect fish to surface school on pods of shad at any time of the day. It's a great bet to keep a topwater lure or heavy-bodied swimming minnow plug within easy reach to cast to these surface-feeding fish. Often the success or failure will be how quickly you can present the lure. The best technique is to cast just beyond where the fish school and bring the lure back through. Ripping a tailspinner, such as a Little George, is a great technique for this situation.

In addition, look for fish to be taken on crankbaits in water from the shallows down to 12 feet deep. Again, the fish will be foraging heavy on shad, so shad-colored baits seem to be the most productive, according to local anglers.

Bottom bumpers are a good midday option, but it's often not necessary unless you simply prefer this technique. The crankbait and topwater fishing is typically productive throughout the day.

In addition to shallow-water cover, the stretches of riprap where bridges cross the creeks are always a good bet, too.

The entire lake is productive during this time of the year. However, the upper portion of the lake does seem to turn on first, and as the weeks progress the action improves toward the lower end of the lake. Most of the best fishing action will be found in the larger creeks and coves. Anywhere you find a concentration of shad, you will have a good opportunity to hook a "hawg" bass.

A good backup bet here is crappie fishing. This lake is loaded with crappie and this is a great month to find them holding tight to cover in 4 to 12 feet of water.

STRIPERS AT LAKE MURRAY
As the weather cools, striper action really heats up on Lake Murray. From their warm-months pattern of holding in the lower end of the lake in deeper water, the fish begin to transition to a pattern of roaming about the entire lake.

Some of the action will be topwater schooling early and late in the day. Bucktails and topwaters will score well under those conditions.

Also, the forage fish will begin to congregate in large pods throughout the lake. Finding forage is always a precursor to success on stripers here. Look for the fish to hold at or just below the depth of the forage. Drifting with live bait is an ideal method to take these fish. Often you'll get into sizable schools and catch several from a single spot.

Also, trolling on the midlake and even uplake structures, such as points, humps and around the mouths of the creeks, will provide excellent results.

Some anglers will use deep-diving lures that dig deep, down to the 12- to 20-foot depth range. Others will use the umbrella rigs with jigs and grub tails or live bait. Either way, focus your search on areas where forage is present and where you have an identifiable bottom structure to troll. In the upper reaches of the lake, you'll sometimes find stripers along the old river or creek ledges, suspended just above the old channel where it drops into the deep water.

If you come to a place where you have multiple hookups, consider stopping and casting. This can make your fishing even more effective once you have their exact location and depth determined.

Largemouth bass fishing is your best backup plan here. Lake Murray is also known for great bass fishing and October is excellent.

CATFISH AT LAKE MARION AND LAKE MOULTRIE
October ranks as a favored time of the year for pursuing large catfish for many catfish anglers on lakes Marion and Moultrie. The weather is usually quite stable, the water temperature has cooled a bit and the big blue, flathead and channel catfish are feeding heavily.

Some big catfish tournaments are held during this period of the fall for those reasons. Great weather and great fishing is the norm, not the exception.